Plenty of reasons for Texas to legalize marijuana [Opinion]

By Chris McAllister

April 19, 2018Updated: April 20, 2018 8:34am

Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

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A crowd in favor of the legalization of cannabis in Texas gathered to rally at the intersection of San Pedro and Rector on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The organization 420OpenCarry held the event to support the open use of recreational marijuana. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less

A crowd in favor of the legalization of cannabis in Texas gathered to rally at the intersection of San Pedro and Rector on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The organization 420OpenCarry held the event to support the ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

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Dani Traeger (right) joins a crowd in favor of the legalization of cannabis in Texas gathered to rally at the intersection of San Pedro and Rector on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The organization 420OpenCarry held the event to support the open use of recreational marijuana. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less

Dani Traeger (right) joins a crowd in favor of the legalization of cannabis in Texas gathered to rally at the intersection of San Pedro and Rector on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. The organization 420OpenCarry held ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

Plenty of reasons for Texas to legalize marijuana [Opinion]

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So, it’s 4/20 once again — April 20, the unofficial weed celebration day — and the use of marijuana is now a far cry from just a few teens in California meeting up under the bleachers to smoke a joint. In many states, it’s now just as common as “beer thirty” or it being “5 O’clock somewhere.” We have to face the fact that, for many Americans, the most dangerous thing about weed is getting caught with it. But we can change that - yes, even here in Texas.

Legalization has many benefits for Texans whether they are marijuana users or not. It will bring in tax revenue, eliminate a dangerous black market, reduce opioid misuse and roll back a racist criminal justice system.

And, importantly for the politicians out there, people want it. A recent Texas Tribune Poll showed eighty-three percent of Texans overall favor either legalization or decriminalization of marijuana use. Thirty-four percent favor legalization for medical use, and the remaining fifty-three percent favor further legalization for recreational use, as well.

The original propaganda about cannabis, which was largely based in bigotry, no longer holds sway. We’ve come a long way with marijuana reform since the days of Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who kick-started the prohibition of cannabis in the 1930s with racist propaganda about African Americans. He appealed to white America by claiming that African American citizens who used marijuana were “darkies [who] think they’re as good as white men,” and made atrocious statements such as, “The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effects on degenerate races.”

In the decades since, our law enforcement resources have been spent enforcing marijuana prohibition rather than productively serving society in a meaningful way and protecting citizens from something that could actually cause harm.

The prohibition of marijuana started with despicable commentary by a man who represented the worst of our government. By ending that prohibition, we can lead our nation into one of the most progressive times since the civil rights movement.

Things are already starting to change.

Just this month, former Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, who was once unalterably opposed to use of marijuana, recently joined the board at Acreage Holdings, an investment company in the cannabis industry that operates in 11 states.

President Donald Trump has also agreed to protect state marijuana laws from federal interference.

While legalization could raise tax revenue for schools, teachers, veteran programs, and others, that’s not the only reason to pass such a law.

Legalization of adult use of marijuana, both medically and recreationally, would close a door on a black market that would continue to sell indiscriminately, including to teenagers. That’s one major reason why mere decriminalization isn’t enough.

This distinction between teen and adult is very important and should be to any parent and lawmaker regardless of whether one supports marijuana use or not. We can all agree that teen and youth use of marijuana is a bad idea unless a doctor believes it is necessary. Like alcohol or tobacco, marijuana should only be available for use by responsible adults.

But contrary to the rhetoric pushed by anti-marijuana groups, legal marijuana states actually have seen a significant drop in teen use. In Colorado, marijuana use among teens is down to levels last seen in 2005.

In addition to reducing teen use of marijuana, legalization would provide a safer alternative to other, more dangerous drugs.

Major studies increasingly show that opioid deaths are slowing down significantly in states that have a legal and well-regulated marijuana market.

One of the studies published by Dr. Hefei Wen and Dr. Jason M. Hockenberry showed findings of opioid prescriptions being reduced by 5.88 percent when medical marijuana laws passed, and 6.38 percent after legalization. Given the findings, they determined that medical and adult-use marijuana laws can potentially lower opioid prescriptions for Medicaid enrollees who are at a high risk for chronic pain, opioid use disorder and opioid overdose.

Substances like alcohol, tobacco, and legal prescription drugs have a combined death toll of approximately 522,000 each year in the U.S. alone.

If alcohol and tobacco are legal, marijuana should be as well. Marijuana is rarely — if ever — responsible for a fatal overdose or death of any kind.

If an adult can come home from a long day at work, drink a few beers and smoke a few cigarettes legally and responsibly, then an adult should have that same freedom with respect to marijuana.

Because, after all the policy arguments about taxes, criminal justice, regulated markets and safety, that’s what marijuana legalization is really about — freedom.

McAllister is the founder of Texans for Marijuana Reform (@freetheweedtex).